Dragon Gate USA's Mercury Rising PPV will debut this Friday on InDemand PPV and additional PPV outlets. I will be covering an advance screener copy of the PPV "live" as I watch it today, providing coverage match by match, as if I was watching a PPV broadcast. As I complete each bout, the title header in the article will change, so feel free to come back and read the report. If you do not want to be spoiled, you would be best to wait until the PPV airs this Friday.

Onto the show!

Mercury Rising opened with Lenny Leonard voicing over footage of the
contingents of WORLD-1 and WARRIORS preparing for their main event six man tag
team bout tonight. Leonard promised we would see a style of wrestling that
we have never seen on PPV before - Dragon Gate six man action.

We went to a shot of the ring and a graphic identified we were in Phoenix,
Arizona. The building looks WAY better on television than it did live.

Genki Horiguchi vs. Shingo

Horiguchi is accompanied by Dragon Kid, CIMA and GAMMA from the
Warriors. Shingo, representating Kamizake, came out alone. A fan
tossed a lonely red streamer for Shingo. Fans chanted for Shingo.

Lenny Leonard is handling the commentary solo this time around.

Shingo grabbed a side headlock early and powered him to the mat with a
headlock, then shoulderblocked him down. Shingo's power was too much for Genki
early. He caught Genki attempting a leapfrog and slammed him down. He
drilled Genki with a series of elbows but was caught with a dropkick. Genki
tied up Shingo on the mat. Genki slammed him and went for a moonsault but
Shingo got his knees up. Shingo was nailed with a DDT and a leaping back senton.
He began beating down Genki and garnered a two count. Fans began dueling
chants.

Shingo brought him down with a chinlock, then chopped his bald head. Shingo
suplexed him over and ran him into the turnbuckles. Genki fought back but
was mauled with an elbow and collapsed in the corner. Shingo peppered him
with a punches. Genki tried to leap over but was caught with an exploder
suplex for a two count. Shingo locked on a side bearhug, using Genki's own
arm to force the leverage.

Genki used a Lucha armdrag to escape but was caught with a powerslam for a
two count.. Shingo locked on an Anaconda Vice but Genki made it to the
ropes. Genki comes back with head scissors. Genki kicked off a
charge. He nailed an inverted DDT, but Shingo popped up. Genki reversed a
suplex.

Shingo caught an attempted cross body, but Genki changed position with an
inverted DDT out of a Death Valley Driver. He then came off with a missile
dropkick to the back. Genki fought to get Shingo off his feet. He
went for the backslide from heaven. Shingo turned it into a powerbomb but
Genki turned it into a rana.

Shingo caught him with a charge in the corner and powerbombed Genki.
Shingo caught him with a running clothesline in the corner, then nailed a death
valley driver off the ropes for a two count. They exchange strikes.
Shingo clotheslines him. Genki catches him with the backslide from heaven
but Shingo kicks up.

Shingo drops oGenki n his head with a back suplex, a lariat and hits his
"Made in Japan" Package Michinoku Driver for the pin.

Your winner, Shingo!

Good solid opener with some fun exchanges and hard-hitting action.

We go to a quick video feature with Leonard explaining the feud between Jimmy
Jacobs and Brian Kendrick. We are told each has brought in a partner, with
Kendrick picking former WWE Tag Team championship partner Paul London and Jacobs
picking "Dragon Gate veteran" Jack Evans. In order to end the feud, the
loser of the fall has agreed he will leave DGUSA. That made a lot more
sense than the Teddy Hart promo that set this match up live in Phoenix, let me
assure you!

Brian Kendrick & Paul London vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Jack Evans

The match started in progress as Kendrick and London were working over Jacobs
on the floor. Evans came charging out of the back. dropkicking
Kendrick. He dove off the elevated platform the ring was on into the crowd
on London, then hit a cartwheel into headscissors on London.

Evans returned to the ring with London and nailed a dropkick as they rang the
bell. Kendrick jumped on Evans and whipped him into the corner.
Evans was up and over. Evans came off the top with a glancing kick on
London. London worked over Evans but Jacobs grabbed him with a guillotine
choke. Kendrick threw Evans out of the ring and kicked Jacobs in the back
of the head.

London nailed a kick to Jacobs' face, then drilled him with a back elbow for
a two count. Kendrick and London exchanged tags and worked over Jacobs'
arm and elbw. Kendrick cinched in a Fujiwara armbar as the crowd rallied
him. Jacobs escaped and fought off Kendrick with a series of rights.
Kendrick refused to let loose, tagged in London and held Jacobs as he was nailed
by a London double stomp. London scored a two count, then cinched in a
rear chinlock to wear Jacobs down.

Jacobs escaped with a chinbreaker but his legs were sweeped by London when
Jacobs went for a pin. London nailed a standing shooting star press for a
two count, then a butterfly suplex for another. Kendrick came off the top
with an elbow to the rib cage. London went to the top with another double
stomp. London began kicking away at Jacobs' face, which fired up Jacobs.

Kendrick nailed Jacobs from behind, setting up London beating Jacobs with a
series of rights. Jacobs escaped a suplex and made the hot tag, then
rolled out to the floor. Evans cleaned house with a series of dropkicks.
London cut him off with a kick. Evans threw London out of the ring, then
ducked a Kendrick charge, sending him through the ropes to the floor.
Evans hit a space flying tiger drop over the top to the floor on the former WWE
Tag champions.

Evans hit a springboard 450 splash on London for a two count. Kendrick
and London nailed a double suplex. Jacobs hit the ring and speared
Kendrick. London went for a powerbomb but Jacobs nailed a rana.
London kicked off a charging Jacobs and nailed a double stomp for a two count.
The fans did dueling chants for London and Jacobs.

London went for a suplex but Evans came off the top, reversing the momentum
and allowing Jacobs to hit a DDT. Kendrick broke up a pinfall attempt.
Evans head scissors Kendrick over the top to the floor, leaving London alone
with Jacobs. London drilled Jacobs into the ring face-first, then kicked
him in the face.

London went to the top rope but was kicked in the face by Evans. Evans
went to the top and went for the 630 splash. London got his knees up so
Evans crashed and burned and rolled outside. Kendrick was waiting for
Jacobs to return to his feet, but Jacobs battled back with a series of punches.
Jacobs missed a spear and ate the corner. Kendrick attempted the sliced
bread #2 but failed. He caught it on a second attempt for a near fall.

Jacobs locked in a camel clutch and began beating Jacobs' face with punches
while he was trapped. Jacobs appeared to be out as Kendrick kicked and
taunted him verbally. He told Jacobs to say goodbye to his job but Jacobs
surprised him with a rollup for a near fall. Kendrick was caught in the
guillotine choke. London hit the ring to save him but Evans nailed a
springboard dropkick to stop him. Kendrick finally submitted.

Your winners, Jimmy Jacobs & Jack Evans!

Brian Kendrick must leave DGUSA. Fans sang "Hey Hey, Goodbye" before
DGUSA went to a plug for their website
www.dgusa.tv.

Much better match on PPV than it came off live in the building. The
camera angles caught the action at just the right places to enhance the moves
that didn't come across perfectly live. The match was a lot more fun to
watch with the simpler set-up and it was all crazy spot, spot, spot tag team
action. Solid.

They went to footage from the Fearless PPV in Chicago, which hadn't
previously aired, "due to the contractual obligations" of Tommy Dreamer.
Moxley was in the ring and said Dragon Gate USA was going to start the PPV off
right. He said he was going to cut to the chase. He said there
was a man in the building who sickens him and makes him want to stab himself.
He said that while Tommy Dreamer says he made a career out of innovating, he
really made a career out of losing. Moxley said that if he "made a career
out of getting the crap kicked out of me, I'd call myself hardcore, too."

Moxley called out "Mister Extreme" and said he can't be fooled like all these
people. They showed clips of Moxley calling out Dreamer at the Fearless
event with Brian Kendrick telling him that he doesn't need to prove anything.
Kendrick said Dreamer lost all his passion and fire when he sold his soul ten
years ago. Kendrick said Dreamer has a wife and kid and responsibilities,
so he sold his soul and that will be his excuse. Moxley demanded Dreamer
fight him but Kendrick said he would never do it, because he's office, not a
wrestler anymore. Good promos from both.

We went back "live" to Phoenix, where Tommy Dreamer was standing in the ring.
He's dropped some more weight since leaving WWE and added MMA gloves to his ring
attire. Fans chanted "ECW" at him, then chanted his name. Dreamer thanked
the fans and told them he appreciated the chants. Dreamer joked that he
wasn't going to cry and was very happy.

Dreamer said this weekend (the PPV was taped Wrestlemania eve) was very
important to all wrestling fans and that as someone who was at the first
Wrestlemania with his father, he wanted to thank all the fans who were in
Phoenix supporting every event that was taking place that weekend. He said
there are a bunch of men and women who don't work for WWE who bust their ass for
the fans and thanked the fans for supporting all of them. He said the
memories of this weekend would last for a lifetime.

Dreamer said that he wrestled Yoshihiro Tajiri in Japan last night, then flew
from Japan to Los Angeles "in a middle seat", joking that he thanked Tajiri for
that. He said he then flew right to Phoenix without sleeping and is going
to fly right out after this match He commented that since he has
"some stroke" with the promoter, he wanted to kick it old school and asked for a
throwback No Rules, Anything Goes, Tommy Dreamer "violence." The place
chanted "Thank you Tommy."

Jon Moxley vs. Tommy Dreamer - Anything Goes

Moxley came out with Christina Von Eerie of AAA and PWG fame. I got the
impression Leondard didn't know who she was, as she was pretty much called "Moxley's
girl." They went back and forth with some wrestling, then faced off. They
began shoving each other and went nose to nose. Moxley began chopping Dreamer
and kicked him in the gut. Dreamer fired back with punches into the corner.
Moxley nailed a leg lariat for a two count. Moxley mounted Dreamer and
began choking him.

Dreamer came back and clotheslined him over the top to the floor, then hit a
sliding kick through the ropes. Dreamer hit a cannonball off the elevated
platform to the floor. Dreamer grabbed the ring bell and nailed Moxley in the
head. He placed it on Moxley's nether regions and rang it. Dreamer spit
water in Moxley's face, blinding him.

Dreamer dragged Moxley to the fans, and took a crutch from a fan, then nailed
Moxley. Fans chanted "ECW." They brawled into a dark segment of the
venue before Dreamer dragged him back towards the ring. The referee tried
to tell them to return to the ring. In an Anything Goes match?
Dreamer grabbed a fan's beer and nailed Moxley with it. They returned to
the staged area, where Dreamer suplexed Moxley over.

Dreamer went backstage and returned with a trash can that had some other sort
of trash bin in it. He nailed Moxley with the smaller one in the head several
times. Dreamer tossed Moxley back in the ring, then tossed a second can in
as well. Dreamer elbowed Moxley across the throat. Dreamer went to the
ropes but Moxley crotched him. Moxley drilled him several times with the can,
buisting Dreamer open hardway in the head. Moxley choked him on the ropes,
then hit a superplex for a two count. Fans chanted for Dreamer.

Dreamer went for a slam but Moxley slipped out and locked on an STF.
Dreamer fought his way to the ropes but Moxley stomped on his fingers.
Moxley went for a missile dropkick but was caught and turned over into a Texas
Cloverleaf. Dreamer let the move go when Moxley made it to the ropes, then
clotheslined him down for a two count.

Dreamer grabbed a chair and slammed it over Moxley's back. He set up Moxley
but Moxley reversed it and nailed a drop toehold into the chair on Dreamer, who
hit the back of the chair face-first. Dreamer nailed a spinebuster and
slammed Moxley backwards by the hair into the chair.

Christina hit the ring and broke it up. Leonard asked who she thought
she was dealing with. Dreamer grabbed her for a piledriver but the referee
broke it up. Leonard said the ref just saved her life. Dreamer nailed the
referee. Christina slapped Dreamer. Dreamer piledrove her.

Out of nowhere, Open the Dream Gate champion YAMATO hit the ring and attacked
Dreamer. He began choking Dreamer out. Shingo hit the ring and nailed
Dreamer with a Death Valley Driver. Moxley covered him but Dreamer kicked
out. The fans chanted, "Let's go Tommy." Moxley was pissed that
didn't get the job done. Moxley missed a chairshot. Dreamer kicked
Moxley in the guy, then piledrove Moxley for a two count.

Moxley locked on a sleeper after evading the DDT. Moxley went up
on Dreamer's back. Dreamer pulled him into an attempted Spicoli Driver but
Moxley slipped out and DDT'd Dreamer on a chair for the pin.

Your winner, Jon Moxley!

Moxley celebrated with YAMATO and Shingo as a bloody Dreamer laid on their
feet. The announcer didn't speculate as to why they helped Moxley.

Fun Tommy Dreamer-style brawl. The blood was absolutely hardway as you
can see it start to run down Dreamer's face after he's caught with a piece of
the trashcan. Obviously, Moxley is a project here and having him get put
over by Dreamer gives him some "street credibility" with the fans.

Moxley nailed a DDT and pinned Dreamer.

Your winner, Jon Moxley!

A video feature noted that tonight would be the first time an Open the Dream
Gate championship bout would take place on DGUSA PPV. Lenny Leonard said
it would make headlines from England to Japan.

Open the Dream Gate champion YAMATO vs. Susumu Yokosuka.

Some fans chanted "You screwed Tommy" at YAMATO. They noted YAMATO had
won the title less than a week ago in Tokyo. Yokosuka rode YAMATO to the
mat early. He controlled the match early. The crowd seemed tired by this point
(and considering the day they probably had, who can blame them?) but the work
was very good here early. YAMATO tried to keep the momentum of the bout
slow in the early going. Yokosuka grabbed a waistlock but YAMATO reversed
it. Yokosuka rode him to the mat and tied up his legs.

YAMATO escaped a front facelock and they did some nice counter-wrestling
early. Yokosuka used a top wristlock to force him down to the mat.
They exchanged shoulder tackles. YAMATO nailed a shoulder tackle but
Yokosuka turned it into a rollup. He went for a slam but YAMATO drilled
him with elbows. Yokosuka clotheslined him over the top to the floor.
YAMATO was almost counted out while recovering from the bump.

Yokosuka nailed him with a series of stomps. He snapmared YAMATO over
and cinched in a rear chinlock. They battled to the outside, where YAMATO
beat down Yokosuka in the aisle, then tossed him against the guard rail.
Yokosuka grabbed a fan's water and spit it in YAMATO's face.

When they returned to the ring, YAMATO worked him over as the crowd rallied
them. YAMATO worked over his arm, then picked up for an over the knee
backbreaker. YAMATO locked on a hammerlock on the mat as Yokosuka used
knee strikes to fight his way out. He returned to his feet but YAMATO held
onto the move. He kicked the arm and began stomping Yokosuka's back as he
was down in the corner. YAMATO cinched on the shoulder with an armbar,
forcing him down to the mat with leverage on the collarbone.

YAMATO continued to work on the arm, tearing at it and using a pumphandle.
Yokosuka escaped and locked in a choke sleeper. Yokosuka got kicked low,
which the referee missed. Yokosuka went for an exploder superplex but
YAMATO escaped. Yokosuka caught him with another. They went back and
forth with exploders. The crowd loved that.

YAMATO looked out on his feet as he got back up. YAMATO went to the top
but was caught by Yokosuka. Yokosuka nailed an exploder superplex for a
two count. Yokosuka's lariat was blocked and YAMATO kicked it. They
went back and forth with strikes. Yokosuka slammed him knee-first into the
mat, then put him in a figure four leglock in the center of the ring.
YAMATO fought and fought and finally reversed it.

YAMATO came back to grab a guillotine choke and armbar at the same time
before turning it into a Fujiwara armbar. Yokosuka made it to the ropes,
forcing a break. YAMATO stalked him in the corner, charging with a leaping
forearm. YAMATO placed Yokosuka in the corner and attempted a superplex.
Yokosuka fought back and caught YAMATO on his shoulders while on the ropes.
He dove into the ring with a death valley driver off the second rope.
YAMATO immediately popped up (dumb) and began fighting him off with forearms.
They exchanged strikes with Yokosuka getting the better of the exchanged.

YAMATO was caught with several lariats and a roaring elbow for a two count.
They continued battling until Yokosuka caught YAMATO with another Death Valley
Driver. Both men were tired and ragged as Yokosuka drilled the champ with
a lariat. YAMATO was able to sustain a second one as Yokosuka's arm was
hurting. YAMATO went into a series of rapid fire elbows on Yokosuka's arm
but was caught with a running lariat for a two count.

Yokosuka drilled him with a second but went down grasping his hurt arm.
He finally made the cover but YAMATO kicked out at two. The crowd began to
rally Yokosuka. Yokosuka went for an over the shoulder backbreaker into a
slam and nailed it for a two count. YAMATO catches him with a choke
sleeper but Yokosuka nails a German suplex. YAMATO, who must feel no pain,
was back up with another choke sleeper. YAMATO nailed a sleeper suplex for
a two count.

YAMATO cinched Yokosuka for a suplex but was kicked in the head. YAMATO
nailed a brainbuster for another near fall. Good back and forth bout at
this point. YAMATO finally nails a package Michinoku Driver and scores the
pin.

Your winner and still Open the Dream Gate champion, YAMATO!

YAMATO went to the back and fans chanted for Yokosuka after the bout.

They again plugged the www.dgusa.tv
website, which usually has some sort of weekly sale going on, so check them out
if you are looking for DVDs.

Good but not great match. These guys were hitting each other with
everything you could think of but the problem here is they were back up on their
feet like the moves meant nothing far too often for my taste. When YAMATO,
the obvious heel, is no selling a German suplex to jump up like the Hulkster, I
have to throw up my hands. The sequences where Yokosuka's arm was being
worked on were very good. I give them credit for taking a lukewarm, tired
crowd and getting them really into it as the match went on.

I am saying right now that if you think I can recap everything in this match,
you are quite a deluded soul. I don't know how THESE GUYS can keep up with
what they do mentally while in the moment, so I expect this will be more of an
overview of six man lucha lunacy.

They had full entrances for everyone involved in the bout. Yoshino and
Kid started out. Kid used a Lucha armdrag takeover and headscissors early.
GAMMA taggs in and worked over Yoshino. Hulk dropkicked GAMMA to the back
of the head. CIMA and Hulk had some great back and forth sequences.

Hulk hit a standing twisting moonsault, then cinched in a rear chinlock.
WORLD-1 nailed CIMA with a double hiptoss. Doi worked over CIMA, who
tagged out to Kid. Kid began working over Doi's arm but Doi countered it
into a headscissors. CIMA and GAMMA traded sentons on Yoshino
for a near fall. CIMA worked on Yoshino with a surfboard type submission.

The Warriors came back with a double dropkick. GAMMA began working on
Hulk in the corner, then nailed him with a running dropkick to the mush.
Kid nailed a double kneedrop across Hulk's throat but Doi broke up the pinfall.
Hulk began chopping away but was kicked in the jaw. Doi and Kid worked
over Hulk with some unique offense. They drilled the champ with a triple
dropkick for a two count.

GAMMA grabbed a kendo stick and came off the top with a shot to the groin
while the referee was arguing with Yoshino to get out of the ring. It was
insane, as the other members of WORLD-1 held Hulk upside down spread Eagle.
OUCH. Hulk started to come back with a series of kicks,. Kid went
for a springboard missile dropkick but Hulk kicked him in mid-air and made the
tag to Doi.

GAMMA grabbed the kendo stick and they did some comedy spots with Doi getting
it and cracking Doi in different places. Pretty funny. Kid came over
the ropes with a stunner on Yoshino, then nailed a chinbreaker for a two count.
Yoshino went for a forward roll but was shoved off. He missed a 619 and
went for a reverse frankensteiner, only to be slammed down into the ring.

Doi and the Warriors started beating the crap out of Dragon Kid to build heat
for a long time. Kid tried to fight back against Hulk but was chopped down
in brutal fashion. Yoshino came off the top with a double stomp into a
sideslam. Kid came back with a hurancanrana on Hulk and tagged CIMA.
CIMA nailed a double stomp, then suplexed Doi while having Hulk's legs tied up.
Doi dropkicked them both. Kid nailed a beautiful twisting head scissors
with a series of revolutions.

Kid and Yoshino ended up in the outside. Doi and GAMMA battled back and forth
with strikes. Doi nailed an enziguiri but GAMMA came back with a dropkick
between the eyes. GAMMA powerbombed him for a two count. He went for
a Razor's Edge but Yoshino kicked him in the gut. WORLD-1 hit a flapjack
into a bulldog.

CIMA was kicked off by Yoshino as charged him in the corner.
CIMA nailed a running dropkick and a clothesline for a two count. Yoshino
cinched in an Octopus. Dragon Kid grabbed Hulk in one. He and
Yoshino traded chops while they had their opponents locked in.

DGUSA went into insane highspot mode, at which point I tap out. It's
the most insane flurry of aerial wrestling foreplay you can believe. Tons
of dives and reversals and highspots and stiff kicks and other things dreams are
made of. If you think you can follow it, you can do the coverage! It was
ridiculous as they weren't even looking to see if the other guys were in
position, they were just doing their thing and letting the match flow.
It's insane how uncannily perfect some of the stuff was. One second off in
timing and it would all fall apart. Kind of like the classical music
version of pro wrestling - one beat off and it's ruined.

BxB was sitting on Yoshino's shoulders on the top rope and Kid nailed a
revere Frankensteiner, which is sheer out institutional lunacy and Hulk KICKED
OUT. There was no way that shouldn't have been the finish but who am I to
tell these guys anything. Kid did the revolution around
Yoshino before catching him in a crucifix for a two count. Lots of near
falls and break-ups.

Fans began chanting "Please don't stop." More insanity. More near
falls. More me shaking my head. CIMA and GAMMA worked over Yoshino
in the corner but Doi made the save. GAMMA and Hulk battled with a series
of kicks and strikes. Yoshino tied up GAMMA in a submission.
Kid tried to interfere but Hulk stopped him. Hulk then killed CIMA as he
tried to interfere. GAMMA finally fell unconscious.

Your winners, CIMA & Dragon Kid & Masato Yoshino!

The fans chanted, "That was awesome" and "Dragon Kid." Lenny Leonard
thanked everyone for ordering the PPV and said they would see the viewers in
Toronto.

The fans chanted "Arigato" at the teams as they recovered.

Masato Yoshino took the mic and challenged BxB Hulk for the Open the Freedom
Gate championship. Hulk asked him if he was serious. Hulk looked to
the crowd. Hulk agreed and said he would get his title shot in Toronto.
They started going back and forth in Japanese on the mic.

Doi took the mic and asked them if they were both sure and they were.
He said that he wished his partners a good match. He then asked the crowd
if they enjoyed the show. They did and he thanked them for coming, then
led a Dragon Gate chant.

Backstage, we found Jon Moxley, YAMATO and Shingo talking in the hallway.
Moxley said that if people want to talk about dangerous people, they are talking
about YAMATO and Shingo. He said they were forming a friendship here.
He began putting them over for being dangerous wrestlers. He promised that the
fans haven't seen anything yet. YAMATO and Shingo cut promos in Japanese.
They ran subtitles underneath, which was a great touch. They announced
they were now a trio known as Kamikaze U.S.A.

DGUSA PPV Notes: Very Good show overall and you won't be let down if you
invest your time here. The PPV was MUCH better edited than it came off
live...Moxley is going to be a real gem in the coming months...Watching the six
man tag, I was sorry I felt ill and left the show early as it was probably one
of the best matches over Wrestlemania weekend...There were times it seemed the ring music was overpowering the
audio, so that's something DGUSA may need to address....Kendrick was able to appear on the PPV as he hadn't signed his TNA deal
yet. That deal necessitated Kendrick being written "out" of the company
storylines....The next DGUSA PPV "Uprising" will debut in July.

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